Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is calling on the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to add so-called "cheese" heroin to its National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, even though experts agree that the black-tar heroin-Tylenol PM mix is a problem so far limited only to the Dallas area.

The Dallas Morning News reported June 15 that Cornyn said he was worried about the appeal of "cheese" to young users. "This is a real danger to children in the Dallas area and other places," he said. About 20 deaths in the Dallas area have been attributed to the drug.

But even some Dallas-area officials concerned about the drug question the wisdom of adding it to the national media campaign. "You could inadvertently end up with a double-edged sword," said officer Jeremy Liebbe of the Dallas Independent School District police. "National news media coverage of cheese has pros and cons. It could inadvertently create curiosity. You get a lot of drug phenomenon that pop up in the country that die out."

"Cheese is a significant threat in Dallas and one that needs to be dealt with aggressively. But there are probably more cost-effective ways to deal with it than one of a national scope like the media campaign," said ONDCP spokesperson Jennifer de Vallance.